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Little Fires Everywhere

September 11, 2017

fires

  In her outstanding debut novel, Everything I Never Told You, Celeste Ng delicately exposed the family tragedy that can result from unrealistic expectations and the insecurity of trying to fit into a new culture. In her newest novel, Little Fires Everywhere, the Richardson family has no such problem. They are picture postcard perfection, happily sailing through their ... Read More...

8 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, contemporary life, family, literary, Penguin Press

The Burning Girl by Claire Messud

September 7, 2017

burning

Julia and Cassie meet in nursery school and are best friends from that moment on. Cassie is the power and spirit in their duo and Julia is the steadfast and careful one. The dynamic works until the end of middle school when what was so strong starts to fray. Cassie makes a new friend, a girl she used to mock with Julia, for being so silly and interested in boys. Julia watches ... Read More...

6 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, childhood, coming-of-age, friendship, literary, W.W. Norton

Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo

September 5, 2017

stay

Stay With Me begins in the middle, which is when, after four years of marriage but no children Akin is being pushed by his mother to take another wife. He loves Yejide, but to not have children is incomprehensible in their society and a source of anguish to his wife. When he does give in it is as little as possible, with a woman who he does not allow to live with them and whom ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: Africa, contemporary life, cultural, debut, Knopf, literary

The Resurrection of Joan Ashby

September 1, 2017

resurrection

  When Joan Ashby is in her early twenties she is acclaimed as a writer to watch. Her short stories win awards, she is interviewed and profiled, and all await her first novel. She knows this is her one true gift and so even when she marries Martin, a man she loves deeply, it is with the agreement that there will be no children. Which is fine until Joan is pregnant. ... Read More...

4 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: family, Flatiron Books, literary, marriage, midlife

It’s Not You, It’s Me: Mini-Reviews

August 25, 2017

it's

Plausibility is a subjective concept, especially in reading. There are premises, plots, and characters in novels I love that make other readers put the book down. Today’s mini-reviews exemplify the term because both novels contain characters and situations that I could not believe in and so impacted my ability to enjoy the book as much as someone else might. In other words, ... Read More...

2 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Feature, Fiction Tagged: 1970s, Africa, childhood, mini-reviews, Pegasus, Putnam

Girl in Snow by Danya Kukafka

August 23, 2017

girl

In real life, the victim of murder should always remain at the forefront of the story, but in fiction there is no such rule. The girl in Girl in Snow is Lucinda Hayes, a pretty teenager found dead on a school playground. Someone has killed her and while the townspeople may care, author Danya Kukafka is more interested in Cameron, an odd boy who likes to watch people in their ... Read More...

10 Comments
Filed Under: Book Reviews, Fiction Tagged: book clubs, debut, literary, mystery, Simon & Schuster

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